How is England different from the US?
The USA has a Kidney Bank, while England has a Liverpool.
OK, let's finish our groaning and get on with this, the latest installment of our blog
. According to the map, Liverpool, on the Mersey River, was just a few hours north of Bath, but with flooded rail tracks, getting there proved to be a major headache. We, together with hundreds of others anxious to get to their respective destinations on this Friday night. had to contend with cancelled trains and major crowds. Upper lips remained stiffened, however, and beyond some chaos and misinformation, all remained calm. We fully expected to have to remain in Bath another night and forego our Liverpool hotel reservation. Through some major luck, we heard that one train was going to get through, and although we didn’t have reservations, we threw caution to the wind, jumped onboard in hopes that we wouldn’t be ejected when it was discovered that we were not supposed to be on this train. Our strategy worked, and that train got us there!
Our hotel room was located over a pub, and though our accommodations were pretty basic, the hotel had a lot of character and was run by a friendly pair of Liverpudlians. We did do something that we haven’t done since our university days—we had to share a bathroom with the other hotel guests. Putting it mildly, this took some getting used to again. On the other hand, we had a great time at the pub itself, where we spent a fun night meeting the locals, sampling the local brew and playing a trivia quiz against other teams. Besides being the only foreigners there, we were the youngsters in the crowd
.
When you think Liverpool, what’s the first thing that pops into your head? Well, if you’re of our generation, it would be the Beatles, right? Well, were we ever shocked to learn that this is only scratching the surface. Besides the "Mersey sound" that originated here, Liverpool has a long and colourful history, some of which was associated with the fact that it was largely settled by Vikings, and has been one of the world’s major ports. It served as the base for the Allied WWII naval campaign in the Atlantic. In contrast, it was also one of the key ports for transporting African slaves to the New World.
Today, you shouldn’t leave Liverpool without visiting The Beatles Story, a whole museum dedicated to the most famous product to come out of the city. It was full of amazing memorabilia and non-stop Beatles music, and even non-Beatles fans would likely be humming their songs for days afterwards. It was also hard to believe that here we were in a museum celebrating the 60s and 70s, a time that we lived through
. We felt old. After visiting so many museums, cathedrals, and galleries on this trip, where the focus was on centuries-old past, here we were revisiting our memories.
Of course, the Beatles are still a huge industry and the museum is just one of several Beatles-themed sites around Liverpool. It was reminiscent of our trip to Nashville, where we were immersed in all things Elvis. Thus, we also visited The Cavern, where they played as young lads and made their chops. It still has live Beatles cover bands every night. We both like Beatles music, so we enjoyed it all. Mind you, we weren’t committed enough to take a Beatles Bus tour, which takes you to places like their childhood homes, schools, Abbey Road, Eleanor Rigby’s grave (yes, she really existed), Strawberry Field (a park), etc.
So, if I had to summarize our stay in Liverpool, I’d say that it was good for us because, in a way, we felt like we were in our 20s all over again. And who wouldn’t like that?
Liverpool.....Yeh, Yeh, Yeh
Friday, November 23, 2012
Liverpool, England, United Kingdom
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2025-02-08
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Hope Springman
2012-11-29
Your blogs are better than ever - I really feel like I'm there, reliving the 60's with you! Here's my theme song for this trip: She Loves You, Yeh, Yeh, Yeh! Look forward to hearing about the cruise back to Florida - enjoy!! Love, Hope
joseph
2012-11-29
You're not kidding when you say feeling like you're in your 20's!!.
Thanks for sharing those memories of the Beatles.
cissie.retired
2012-11-30
Hi guys,
I'm so glad you were able to get to your destination when everyone around you was floating...so to speak. Your pub visits sound so relaxing, fun and just exactly what you both enjoy when travelling. I anticipate another wonderful blog from wherever next. It's a great surprise for all of us here as well as you since you don't have an itinerary...
Love the surprises!
Cecile
The Sunnies
2012-12-02
Well, once again, you have managed to make your visit to Liverpool come alive as you have in all of your previous blogs! Sounds like you two are having another "time of your life" adventure! How interesting that you immersed in Beatles memories....they changed music forever and were really ahead of their time. I was hoping that perhaps you'd managed to get an invitation to Sir Paul's home for dinner!!!
I wish you continued safe and happy travels! When do you cross the ocean on your incredible cruise? I am certain that your blogs will be every bit as enjoyable as those you have already written!! Glad that the laptop is serving you well.....
Love and hugs,
The Sunnies